Coffee maker



Sept. 14, 1937.

c;. B. FOWLER COFFEE MAKER Filed May 1, 1955 Inventor; Clare-nee B. Fow\er,-

by H

His Attorney.

Patented Sept. 14, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COFFEE MAKER- New York Application May 1, 1935, Serial him-19,215

This invention relates to coflee makers, and it has for its object the provision of an improved device of this character.

More specifically, this invention relates to coffee makers which are provided with a lower bowl and an upper bowl, together with a tube projecting from the upper bowl into the lower bowl so as to connect the two bowls together. A filter upon which the coifee grounds are placed is supported in the upper bowl over the mouth of the tube. In the operation of coifee makers of this character, water is placed within the lower bowl and is heated to boiling. The pressure of the steam and air above the water level forces the water up through the tube into the upper bowl where the coflee is steeped or infused. when the heat is removed from the lower bowl, the steam in the lower bowl condenses 'and the pressure is thereby reduced suiliciently to permit the liquid in the upper bowl to return through the filter to the lower bowl.

The connection between the two bowls must be Another object of this invention is the provision of improved tubular connection means between the two bowls.

In accordance with this invention, in one form thereof, the tubular member connecting the two bowls is detachable and is secured to the upper bowl by means of suitable resilient means. The upper bowl is provided with a lower open extension that is received in the neck provided for'it in the upper portion of the lower bowl, and through which the tubular member extends. The diameter of the tubular member preferably will be considerably smaller than that of the extension member on the upper bowl.

A steam and air-tight seal is eflfected between the two bowls by means of a resilient gasket which has a part interposed between the neck on the lower bowl and the extension on the upper bowl, and further, with a diaphragm extending inwardly and engaging the tubular member connecting the two bowls. The resistance to flexure of the diaphragm is sufllclent to prevent steam which collects in the lower bowl from pass- 50 ing up the outside of the tubular member and through the filter, whereby all of the steam pressure generated in the lower bowl is utilized to force the water'in this bowl up through the tubular member into the upper bowl. The resist- 5 ance of the diaphragm, however, is not so great as to prevent fiexure of the diaphragm to permit the coilee brew to fiow down from the upper bowl on the outside of the tube when heat is removed from the lower bowl. In other words, when heat is removed from the lower bowl and the steam 5 therein condenses, the coffee brew is permitted to flow down both through the tubular member and also about the outside of this member.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference should be had to the accom- 10 panying drawing in which the single figure is a vertical sectional view of a coifee maker embodying this invention.

Referring to the drawing, this invention has been shown in one form as applied to a coffee 15 maker comprising a lower water heating Vessel or bowl i0 and an upper coifee infusion or steeping vessel or bowl II. The lower bowl Ill is pro vided at its upper portion with an upright neck l2 within which an open extension It provided on 20 the lower portion of the upper bowl I I is received. It will be observed that the neck I! and the extension |3 have relatively large'diameters. Preferably, the lower and upper bowls will be formed of glass.

The upper bowl II is connected with the lower bowl III by means of a tubular member II which, as shown, projects down into the lower bowl to a point near the bottom thereof. This member is formed of a suitable metal, such as monel 30 metal, or an alloy of nickel and silver. The tubular member ll at its upper end is provided with an annular disc ii, the outer edge of which rests upon the bottom of the upper bowl, as shown. The disc I! is provided, at its center, with a depressed portion it, which is secured to the upper end of the tube It. The depressed portion it functions somewhat as a funnel to direct liquid in the upper bowl .ll into the tube ll. A filter ll formed of cloth, fine metal mesh, or some other suitable material is secured over the mouth of the funnel It. It is preferable that the filter cover the entire upper area of the disc I5 and be wrapped about its edges, the edges Ila of the filter being secured under the disc, as shown.

The tubular member I4 is secured to the upper bowl II by means of a plurality of resilient members or springs It. The springs II, as shown, are provided with U-shaped legs l8a, which spring outwardly away from the tube l4, and which-are arranged to engage the inner walls of the extension l3. The upper bowl II is provided with an inwardly projecting bead or shoulder is formed at the juncture of thelower wall of the 55 upper bowl and its extension l3. This bead may it directly under this bead II. It will be observed that the bead ll, therefore. is sandwiched betweenthedisc ll resting onthebottomwallot the upper bowl and the leg Ila. By reason of this arrangement, the tubular member it, the disc II and the iilter II are detachably secured to the upper bowl II and may be readily removed therefrom by pushing the tube I up through the extension l3.

In order to eilect an air-tight. steam-tight seal between the upper and lower bowls, a suitable gasket 20 is provided, and arranged, as shown, to surround the extension ll oi the upperbowl and to be received in the neck I! o! the lower bowl. This gasket is formed of a suitable flexible substance, such as rubber. The gasket is secured to the upper bowl by means of an inwardly extending flange or bead 2i formed at its upper end and received in the recess provided on the outside of the upper bowl by the inturned or depressed portion forming the head is. The gasket is tapered downwardly. as shown, to pemit the upper bowl to be readily removed from the lower bowl. The neck l2, oi course, will flare outwardly somewhat. while extension it will taper downwardly so that these members accommodate the tapering gasket 2|.

The gasket 2|, as shown, extends downwardly through the full length oi neck II and at its lower end is provided with a diaphragm or inwardly extending portion 22 which is arranged substantially at right angles to the main downwardly extending portion oi the gasket. The diaphragm 22 is provided at its center with an aperture 23 which receives the tubular member ll. I

The lower bowl II is Provided with a handle 24, which is secured to the neck I! in any suitable manner, as by means oi a metallic band 240 embracing the neck I! and to which the handle is secured.

The upper bowl II is provided with a suitable cover II.

It will be understood that in the operation 01' coflee makers of this type the coilee grounds 2' will be placed in the upper bowl above the filter ll, while waterwill beplacedin thewater heating bowl it up to a suitable level, such as the level indicated by the letter A. It will be understood that the amount of coil'ee placed within the upper bowl and the amount ct water placed within the lower bowl will depend upon thenumberolcupsitisdesiredtomake. After the coilee and water have been supplied, heat is applied to the lower bowl, as by means of a suitable electric hot plate (not shown), so as to will eventually generate a pressure so great that l the water in the lower bowl lower bowl to cool. Ai'ter this happens, the steam in the lower bowl II will condense and reduce the pressure therein suiliciently to a hragm the coilee brew to how down into the lower bowl through the coilee grounds and the illter II by atmospheric pressure and gravity.

The pressure which is generated in the vessel llabovethewaterleveldm'ingtheheating peri- 5 od is not suiiiciently great to move the diaphragm 22 from its position shown in the drawing and, therefore, is not suiiiciently great to permit leakthrough the diaphragm on the outside of the tube It and up through 10 theiilter between the edge ofthe disc II and the bottom of the upper bowl. In other words, the prevents the loss 01' pressure around theedgesoi'theillterdiseduringtheheatingup period However, when the heat is removed from 15 the lower bowl and the therein condenses. thecoil'eebrewintheupper wldoes notreturn merely through the tube ll, ut returns by two paths: one through the tube It and the other around the edges of disc II and down into the lower bowl the through the tube It and the extension II. Octi'ee brewispermittedtoiiowdownon otthe tube ll becausewhen thesteam condenses, it creates a vacuum atmospheric pressure great that it is not way through which coilee brew can flow. Because 01 this arrangement. all of the codes brew abovethedisc ilisfiermittedtoreturntothe lower bowl.

Whenthecoii'eebrewhasbeenmadeandreturned to the lower bowl, the upper bowl, together with the tube It and gasket ls,.are removed from the lower bowl, and the codes then pouredfromthelowerbowl llbyusingthehaningvesselwhenthepressureinsaidlattervesssi isreducedbycondensationoi'steaminsaidvessel.

2.Acoireemakercomprisingalowerwater" heatingbowlhavingarelativelylargenechan upperintusionbowlhavingsnopeneltensionarrangedtobereceivedinsaid'nechatubular member secured in said extension, a flexible gasketwithinsaidneck lll'rounrlinglaideaten-1O sionsoastoeilectasteam-tightsealbetweensaid bowls,saidgaskethavingatitslowerendaflexible diaphragm extending inwardly toensagesaid tubular-membertopreventthelossoi'pressure iromtheheatingbowitotheintusionbowlout- 1| side of the tubular member, but flexing on the member to provide for the passage of fluid from the iniusion to the heatingv bowl when the pres sure in the latter bowl is reduced by condensation of steam in the bowl.

3. A cofl'ee maker comprising a lower water heating bowl having a neck extending upwardly therefrom, an upper bowl having a depending open extension adapted to be fitted to said neck, a detachable tube having a relatively small diameter as compared with that of said extension extending through said extension to said lower bowl and provided at its upper end with an annular disc resting on the bottom of said upper bowl, a filter secured to said disc covering the upper end of said tube, a rubber gasket surrounding said extension and fitted within said neck, and a rubber diaphragm formed integrally with said gasket extending inwardly therefrom and surrounding and engaging said tube arranged to prevent the escape of pressure from said lower bowl to said upper bowl outside of said tube, but to be flexed from said tube to provide for the passage of fluid from said upper to said lower bowl when the pressure in said lower bowl is reduced by condensation of steam in said lower bowl.

4. A. coffee maker comprising a lower water heating bowl having a neck extending upwardly therefrom, an upper bowl having a depending open extension adapted to be fitted into said neck, a detachable tube provided at its upper end with a member resting on the bottom of said upper bowl, a filter secured to said member covering the upper end of said tube and a metallic spring secured to said tube and engaging a portion of said upper bowl to releasably secure said tube to said upper bowl.

5. A cofi'ee maker comprising a lower water heating bowl having a neck extending upwardly therefrom, an upper bowl having a depending open extension adapted to be fitted into said neck,

a detachable tube provided at its upper end with a member resting on the bottom of said upper bowl, a filter secured to said member covering the upper end of said tube and a spring secured to the upper end of said tube having a plurality of resilient legs bearing against the inner walls of said open extension to releasably secure said tube to said upper bowl.

CLARENCE B. FOWLER. 

